I've been meaning to write this public "thanks" for a while but just haven't gotten around to it. Like many of you I had read the posts about carving a seat out of foam and the improved comfort and control but my seat felt just fine (stock Pygmy) and I hated the thought of carving up a perfectly good chunk of foam and having something that sucked. However, with the prodding of some (most notably LeeG) I decided to take a shot at it. I bought a big block of foam and a plank of 1" x 12" x 48" plus a couple other odd sizes for the hell of it. I started carving the seat out of the big block ala kayakfit.com and that was going to take some time so I tracked down Brian Nystrom's webshots on outfitting and built a very simple seat out of 1" foam. It was very simple to cut and glue and carve up a decent looking seat but I was skeptical about how it would work.
It works great. In fact I'm amazed that after two years of paddling with the stock seat I'm finding things that I didn't know that my Coho would do. With the thermarest seat it was very hard to hold it on edge. It always felt like balancing on a beach ball or something. I could get it on edge and effect a change but it was difficult to keep it there. With this foam seat I can roll it on edge and easily keep it there with my butt. Amazing.
So I banged one out for my Tern in about an hour. Piece of cake. Again, great results. I'm going to make a couple for friends who paddle Pygmys and improve their lives.
If you are holding back because you think you might screw up and not like it just rest assured that if you don't like it you just change it. Sand it. Shape it. Oops too much. No worries just glue some more on and shape it again. You won't regret it.
To LeeG, bystrom and others.......I thank you from the heart of my bottom.
Move Your Butt and Your Boat Will Follow!
And yet,
another convert to the likes of a seat crafted to fit one butt - not millions, and constructed from a most logical and versatile material.
Why more paddlers do not do this truly escapes me.
Holmes
Being in a hurry…
I bought one from Redfish and put it in my Tern.
BEST thing you can do to a Pygmy.. Much better edge control... GH
It almost doesn't need a back band but I used a Snap Dragon and the system is great...
Ya know…
I’ve become pretty good a carvin’ foam seats over the last couple of years but…
How does Joe get his seats so nice looking?!
Mine are functional but nowhere near as pretty as his.
I’m probably going to end up using one of Joe’s seats in my strip-built. Planned on tellin’ everyone I made it but I’m a really lousy liar:)
Holmes
I just feel like such a dork…
…for not doing this a long time ago. Jeez.
Glad to be of help
It's good to hear that you like your new seat. Enjoy!
I know what you mean about the Thermarest. Your description is right on the money. The good news is that your former seat makes a great cushion for use on the beach during lunch breaks.
likewise
after paddling around a Chatham 18 with heel/foot rests on a bulkhead it's the first time I discovered how much nicer that is than just a little footbrace on the ball of the foot. No end of opportunities to celebrate dorkdom. The latest discovery on faster hand carving was using a hook cutting blade on a utility knife for cutting a bunch of crisscrossing slits 1/2" deep before using a 3 1/2" handheld hole saw to rip out the big pieces.
Foamy butts R good
Another convert! For the price and the experience it just can’t be beat. The difference in control is startling huh? Good post. Thanks!
Yep.
Absolutely shocking.
sounds like there
could be a market for custom made seats.
“Just make a plaster mold of your butt and send it in along with your cockpit dimensions. Leave the shaving and sanding to us”
:-0
custom made seat kits
for s&g kit companies it would be a no brainer to sell two chunks of 3" minicell cut to be glued together to match the bottom panel angles.
push/pull rudder systems
there’s a fair amount of dorkness in the commercial kayak business since they haven’t come up with a standard replacement for the push/pull rudder controls.